For example, an electronic device for vehicle installation is configured to be installed in a vehicle by being mounted to a device mounting housing fixed to the vehicle (see, e.g. Patent Document 1). The reason is that it is possible not only to easily install an electronic device in a vehicle at the time of mounting but also to dismount the electronic device for maintenance more easily than a structure for fixing such an electronic device directly to a vehicle.
FIG. 10 shows a conventional electronic device mounting structure. This figure shows a structure for mounting ECUs (engine control units) 132 as such electronic devices for vehicle installation. The ECUs 132 are mounted to a vehicle by making use of a device mounting housing 130.
The device mounting housing 130 has a fixing portion 137 formed on a top portion 135 thereof and another fixing portion 138 formed on a bottom portion 136. The device mounting housing 130 is fixed to the vehicle by using, e.g. bolts to fix both fixing portions 137 and 138 to the vehicle.
The device mounting housing 130 has open spaces 134 formed therein to fit the ECUs 132 thereinto. The ECUs 132 are fitted into the open spaces in the direction indicated by an arrow X1 in this figure. Each of the top portion 135 and the bottom portion 136 has pressing members (retaining fingers) 139 formed therein. Each of the retaining fingers 139 is cantilevered and has a distal end projecting into each open space 134.
Each of the open spaces 134 has a stopper 140 formed on one edge thereof in the direction indicated by the arrow X1. Each of the open spaces 134 has an opening formed in the one edge in the direction indicated by the arrow X1 so as to be smaller than an end side 145 of each of the ECUs 132 by provision of the stopper 140.
On the other hand, each of the ECUs 132 has a first projection 143 and a second projection 144 formed on each of a top side 141 and a bottom side 142. The first and second projections 143 and 144 are formed on substantially central portions of the top side 141 and the bottom side 142 of each of the ECUs.
Now, how to fit the ECUs 132 into the device mounting housing 130 will be explained. In order to fit the ECUs 132 into the device mounting housing 130, the ECUs 132 are put into the open spaces 134 of the device mounting housing 130 in the direction indicated by the arrow X1. When an ECU is put into an open space of the device mounting housing, the first projection 143 formed on the ECU climbs over the retaining finger 139 projecting into the open space 134, and is set between the first projection 143 and the second projection 144 formed on the ECU. At the same time, the end side 145 of the ECU 132 is brought into contact with the stopper 140 of the open space as shown in FIG. 11.
The EUC 132 is prevented from falling out of the device mounting housing 130 in the direction indicated by the arrow X1 since the end side 145 of the ECU is brought into contact with the stopper 140 as described above. The retaining finger 139 is brought into contact with the top side 141 of the ECU 132 to be elastically deformed, generating an elastic force so as press the ECU 132 by the elastic force. In this way, the EUC 132 is held in the device mounting housing 130.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2000-247188